Wire-stretcher.



- PATENTED H2312, 190v.

0| GI AI WIRE STRETCHBR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY2B, 1906.

I NVE N TOR OT CASCHW/E/V Ame/v5 rs rur. cmems PETERS 50., WASHINGTON,v. c.

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

0. 0-. A. SGHWIEN;

WIRE STRBTCHER. APPLICATION FILED JULYZB, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N VE N T07? Orra GAJcHW/Qv ATTORNE rs Tn: NORRIS Pzrsns c0. wlsmnorun, ac.

UNTTED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

OTTO O. A. SOHWIEN, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO O. A. SoHwInN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa,have invented a new and Improved Wire-Stretcher, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon that for which I have obtainedLetters Patent No. 771,099, dated September 27, 1904. In said formerinvention I employed a lever having a curved and toothed portion adaptedto engage or partly embrace a fixed post and provided with a wire-griplocated at a point etween the post and the handle or power end of thelever. The wire-grip traveled on the curved portion of the lever in theopera tion of stretching the wire, such travel occurring when the leverwas swung around the post. In my present invention I have adopted anarrangement, construction, and combination of parts whereby the powerand efficiency of the stretcher as a whole are in creased and the weightand cost of the same reduced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing myimproved wirestretcher applied to a post, the chain being loose, butdrawn partly around the post in readiness to be connected with theadjacent end of the lever. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same parts,showing the free end of the chain duly connected with the lever and thewireclamp in the position it assumes when a wire has been stretched.Fig. 3 is a viewtaken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing the doublewire-clamp. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a plan view of the lever. Fig. 6 is an enlarged crosssection of thelever on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view showing a modificationin the means for attaching the lever to the post and also in means forclamping the wire.

I will first describe the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6,inclusive. A indicates the lever, B the chain or flexible tensiondevice, and O the wire-grip.- The lever is straight throughout, havingno curved portion, as in my-former invention, and it is composed of twolongitudinal metal plates,

the same being rolled or stamped from thick sheet metal or band-iron.Each of the two plates 1 1, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) which com-Sp'ecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 28,

pose the handle, has a central longitudinal swell or rib 3, and the sameis bounded on each edge by a straight portion 4. As shown in Fig. 5, theplates 1 1 are brought together and riveted at the outer end of thelever, but are separated or spaced apart in the body or main portion.Instead of the wire-clamp O traveling, as in the former case, l upon acurved portion of the lever proper, I provide an arc-bar A, which formsa permanent and fixed attachment of the body of the lever. One end ofthis arc-bar is provided with an eye, by which it is pivoted to andbetween the plates 1 1 composing the lever. The other end of saidarc-bar passes between the plates, and a pin is inserted through theportion which projects on the other side of the bar, as shown in Fig 1.This portion of the bar is thus adapted to slide between the plates 1 1?of the lever; but withdrawal of the bar is prevented by the pin, as willbe readily understood. Such a sliding adaptation is of practical use inthe operation of the lever, since when the arc-bar is adjusted inward tothe position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, it is, so to speak, out ofthe way of the post X, and therefore does not hinder the operation ofthe lever, as it otherwise might do. It will be understood, however,that whenever the lever A is pulled around the post from the positionindicated in Fig. 1 to that indicated in Fig. 2 the wire grip O, owingto the strain of the wire thereon, will pull the arc-bar A back into theposition shown by full lines, in which case the cross-pinpassing throughits adjustable end will prevent complete withwrawal of the said end frombetween the leverplates. At points between the ends of the arc-bar Iinterpose blocks 5, (see Fig. 5,) which are short sections ofchannel-iron, for the purpose of spacing the plates 1 1 apart, andrivets pass j through the said plates and blocks, as shown, j so thatthe lever combines maximum rigidity, I strength, and lightness. Theinner or larger end of the lever A is provided with four points 6 forengagement with the post X. Adjacent to the inner pointed end of thelever A is arranged a bar D, to whose outer end the chain B is attached.The said bar D is composed of three parts, the chain B being attached tothe longer intermediate one, Iwhich is a piece of channel-iron, and theof channel-iron.

around the post X any one of its links may be drawn into the slot orbetween the teeth 7, and thus temporarily engaged and locked with thelever. The wire Y, Fig. 1, being then drawn between the jaws of theclamp 0, upon applying pressure to the free end of the lever in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 1, it'

is swept around the post X, the inner points 6 in such case taking intothe post, and finally reaches the position indicated in Fig. 2, wherethe other points 6 have become engaged with the post and-the first pointdisengaged therefrom, the wire-clamp C being meanwhile slid along theare-bar A and reaching the inner end of same. In this operation it isobvious that the wire will have been stretched and that as the tensionon the same increases during the sweep of the lever the leverageincreases accordingly. The wire Y is then secured by staples or othermeans to the posts or post which is near or adjacent to the post X, towhich the lever is applied. The wire is then released from the clamp Cand the operation repeated, it nec essary. Ordinarily, however, a singleoperation, as described, will be suflicient to stretch the wire for along length of fence.

As in my former invention, the clamp C is composed of levers 8 and 9,1inks 10 connecting their outer ends, and a roller 11, which is journaledon the pivot connecting the outer ends of the links and adapted totravel on the inner side of the arc-bar A, which, as indicated in Fig.1, is oval in cross-section. The clamp diilers, however, from the onedescribed in my aforesaid patent in that the gripping-jaws 12 areduplicated on each side, as will be understood from Fig. 3. It istherefore practicable to clamp the wire on either side of the clamp,which is often a great convenience.

In Fig. 7 I show a modification in the construction of the end of thelever which is adjacent to the post X and also in the means forattaching the lever to the post while in use. The end of the leveradjacent to the post is extended and reduced in width and provided witha flange a, and in place of the chain adapted to extend completelyaround the post a hook 13 is provided, which is loosely connected withthe lever and adapted to take into and thus engage the post, as will bereadily understood. The lever is also shown provided with a wire-clampcomprising a flange-plate l4 and a cam 15, pivoted thereto. It will beseen that by rotating the cam 15 the wire may be clamped between it andthe adjacent flange 14. This device is frequently useful for temporarilyholding the end of the wire when the first stretching has been effectedand the wire is not drawn tight enough.

I claim- I 1. The improved wire-stretcher comprising a lever, and anarc-bar attached thereto, a wire-clamp adapted to travel on saidarc-bar, and a chain connected with the inner end of the lever adjacentto the arc-bar, substantially as described.

2. The improved wire-stretcher comprising a lever, a curved bar attachedthereto and extending backward from the inner end of the lever, awire-clamp adapted to travel on said arc-bar, and means for connectingthe lever temporarily with the post, substantially as described.

3. The improved wire-stretcher comprising a lever formedof'two'longitudinal parts spaced apart in the body portion, an arc-barwhose ends are inserted and secured between said portions of the lever,a wire-clamp adapted to travel on the arc-bar, and means connecting thelever with the post during the stretching operation, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-stretcher, a lever comprising two parts each having alongitudinal central rib and laterally projecting flanges, and

j means for spacing the two parts from each other, and means for rigidlyconnecting them, substantially as described.

5. The improved wire-stretcher comprising a lever, a wire-clamp and acurved part upon which it travels, the inner end of the lever havingpoints adapted to take into and engage a post, and a chain fortemporarily attaching the lever to a post, substantially as described.

6. In a wire-stretcher, the improved lever comprising two longitudinalparts which are rigidly connected, the inner end of the said parts beingprovided with teeth on opposite sides, as and for the purpose specified.

, 7. In a wire-stretcher, the combination with a lever, an arc-barattached thereto, and a wire-clamp adapted to travel on the are- I bar,of a chain, and a lateral arm rigidly attached to the inner end of thelever with which said chain is connected, and means for engaging thefree end of the chain when drawn around the post as required for thestretching operation, substantially as .described.

8. In a wire-stretcher, the combination with the lever, the wire-clampand a guide on which the latter travels, of a chain connected with theinner end of the lever, and means for engaging and temporarily lockingthe plates adapted for engagement with the free free end of the chain,as described. end of the chain for temporarily looking it,

9. In a Wire-stretcher, the combination substantially as described' Witha lever having its inner end toothed, a I OTTO C. A. SCHWIEN. 5 curvedpart upon Which a Wire-clamp is l/Vitnesses:

adapted to travel, a chain loosely connected FRITZ GOTTsOH, Withtheinner end of the lever, and notched HENRY LAWTON.

